Goodbye, Rogers. Hello, Bell!!!

After two years and 10 months, I finally upgraded my BlackBerry Pearl to a BlackBerry Torch.

Boo-yah.

Last Friday, I went to the mall after work. I wanted just to upgrade to the best BlackBerry - so far - but the Torch was sold out at the Rogers Wireless store! It was sold out at the Wireless Wave too. The salesperson did offer me a Torch, but with Bell Mobility. For $50 a month, I can get 100 local minutes, 100 bonus local minutes, 500 MB of data, unlimited local calls on weekends and nights, unlimited sent and received text messages, extended hours (5 PM to 7 AM), and unlimited calling and text with 10 contacts across Canada. The Message Centre Express and Call Display Bundle costs only $10 a month. He also threw in a phone pouch, car charger, LCD screen protector, and screen cleaner - for free!

So the choice was between staying with Rogers Wireless for two months (CAD$90+) and switching to Bell Mobility for three years (CAD$60).

I obviously chose the latter. Hah!

I am loving my new phone! Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube were preloaded. The touchscreen and the slide-out keyboard are amazing. The Social Feeds feature is very helpful and fast. A 4GB media card is included - which adds to the awesome speed. The 5 MP camera is a giant step-up from my old Pearl's camera. Instant messaging applications are also preloaded, as are memo, task, calculator, word/sheet/slideshow to go, files, password keeper, and voice dialing apps. Also, when I connected the phone to my laptop, it appeared as a portable drive (like a flash drive). I only had to copy and paste my ringtones and pictures to the Torch. Copy and paste, dudes!

What did I do with my old phone? I downgraded the plan to the basics and the data plan (because I don't want to pay $75 early termination fee) so I don't have to pay the $100 early termination fee. I'm also giving it to my mom. A BlackBerry Pearl in the hands of a 66-year-old woman should be fun.

*Sigh* I love my Torch!

Weird Dream of the Day: The Empty Office and Norah Jones

If you've been following me on Twitter, you may have seen my tweets about my weird dreams. Normally, I barely remember them once I wake up. But there are days when I remember most of the weird dream; sometimes, part of it or the feeling it left me after I woke up even stays with me throughout the day.

In today's dream, I was walking through my side of an almost empty office with my lunch in my hand. I saw my nine-months-pregnant colleague talking with a couple of officemates who had their back toward me. They looked very serious. My colleague glanced at me while nodding at one guy. I went out to the shop side to get to the lunchroom. But when I closed the door behind me, I saw that the lunchroom had one door boarded up. I don't remember whether the other door was locked or not, though. Also, the tables and chairs from the lunchroom were moved to the shop side, where the manufacturing equipment would be in real life. There were three women - who didn't work at my office - sitting and chatting in the shop/lunchroom. Two of them sat at one table, while the other sat at another table. When I sat at the table where the two women were, I saw that the third woman was Norah Jones. Yes, Norah Jones - the Grammy-winning musician and the star of My Blueberry Nights. They were discussing ideas about either a new video or new movie. I don't remember what Norah was saying when I sat down, though; and I wouldn't have known what song (if it's a song) they were discussing, because I don't follow her music. Which is probably why, when Norah noticed me, she said something like, "Oh, she's OK." I don't recall what she said after that, but I think she mentioned something about that fact that I don't know her music as much as I know, say, Kelly Clarkson's (see two previous sentences). Then the dream ended.

Weird, eh? Disturbing too, because the office and shop were practically empty; although it could also mean that it was a very slow Friday or that the manufacturing equipment was moved to the larger shop section downstairs. Also, three were talking with each other on the office side and three were also talking on the shop/lunchroom side. Also, Norah Jones in my office? Not to mention that she knew the music I prefer and was OK with it.

What could this dream mean (as well as the other weird dreams I've had and will have)? Does this mean that I should buy the new Norah Jones record when it comes out? That's some sneaky and creepy advertising! Or is it just the bottle of Corona talking? Or that I slept at 1 AM? Or that I ate some meat the As brought home from Pinpin Restaurant in Vancouver three hours before I went to bed and four hours before I actually fell asleep? Not that I'm saying there's something in the food, just the fact that I ate something that heavy at 9 PM (after I watched the Stand Up 2 Cancer special on ABC/FOX/CBS/NBC).

Regardless, I'll try to write about my weird dreams as much as I can. I hope that I can figure them out or why I'm having such dreams by blogging about them. Feel free to comment, y'all.

LOST Editors Win Emmy!

Congratulations to Stephen Semel, Mark J. Goldman, Christopher Nelson, and Henk Van Eeghan for winning the Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Drama Series award!!!

I was so happy when I saw their names on the Creative Arts Emmy Awards winner sheet. On LOST Auction weekend, no less.

It sucks, though, that Elizabeth Mitchell lost in the Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series category. Also that Michael Giacchino lost in the Outstanding Music Composition for a Series (Original Dramatic Score) category. And that LOST, well, lost in the Outstanding Sound Editing for a Series, Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Comedy or Drama Series (One Hour), Outstanding Art Direction for a Single-Camera Series, and Outstanding Special Class Programs categories.

FlashForward's stunt specialist Danny Weselis also won the Outstanding Stunt Coordination award for his work on the pilot. Take that, ABC! Also, Neil Patrick Harris won the Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series award. Betty White won the Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series award. Heck, even the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony won two awards: Outstanding Lighting Direction (Electronic, Multi-Camera) For a Variety, Music, or Comedy Programming and Outstanding Musical Direction.

Congratulations to all the winners at the Creative Arts Emmy! I hope LOST wins more at the Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony on August 29th.

Vacation!!!

It's time again for my annual week off from my day job. Yay!

I timed my vacation with the week of my Basic Copy Editing classes at SFU Vancouver. I actually didn't expect my boss to approve my leave, because the August billings are due on Wednesday, August 25th. But she did, and I'm so thankful for that. I am in dire need of time off from work!

For four days, I'll be in class in the mornings and studying in the afternoons. I guess I'm kinda thankful that my freelance business is kinda slow. I can still bid on a project that I like, if I find one, but no work and deadlines this week.

I'm not sure yet what I'm going to do on Friday. I can either go to Victoria with my mom - because I haven't been there in my eight years in Canada! - or book a spa appointment at Spa Utopia. What do y'all think I should do?

Still, I wish I could take a month-long vacation. I've been so exhausted!

Anyhow, I'll try my darnedest to enjoy this week off. I think I'm gonna need the rest for my return to work on August 30th.

LOST Is Emmy-Nominated... Thirteen Times Over!!!

It was fun to wake up to LOST's 13 Primetime Emmy Award nominations.

Yes, thirteen nominations.

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Of its thirteen nominations, the most important is the Outstanding Drama Series nomination. Four are in the acting categories. Elizabeth Mitchell is nominated in the Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series category for her work in "LA X" and "The End". Previous winners Terry O'Quinn and Michael Emerson are both nominated in the Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series category. Best of all, Matthew Fox is nominated in the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series category. It's about freaking time!

Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof's writing in the series finale is also recognized in the Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series category. The Emmy voters also saw the error in their ways, because Jack Bender, snubbed last year, is nominated for the Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series award! Oscar-winner Michael Giacchino's score for the series finale got him a nomination for the Outstanding Music Composition for a Series (Original Dramatic Score) award. Stephen Semel, Mark J. Goldman, Christopher Nelson, and Henk Van Eeghan's excellent work in editing the series finale is also recognized as they are nominated for the Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Drama Series award. Thomas E. deGorter and his team of sound editors, music editor, and foley artists are also nominated for the Outstanding Sound Editing for a Series award. Bobby Anderson, Ken King, Frank Morrone, and Scott Weber are nominated for the Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Comedy or Drama Series (One Hour) award. Zack Grobler, Matthew Jacobs, and Carol Bayne Kelley are also recognized for their awesome work in "Ab Aeterno" as they are nominated for the Outstanding Art Direction for a Single-Camera Series award.

Lastly, ABC's web series Mysteries of the Universe - The Dharma Initiative is also nominated for the Outstanding Special Class Programs award.

In other Emmy news, Fringe's team of sound editors, music editor, and foley artists are also nominated in the Outstanding Sound Editing for a Series category as recognition for their work in the "White Tulip" episode. It's a shame John Noble still isn't nominated in the Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series category. He'd better be nominated next year! V's visual effects team is nominated in the Outstanding Special Visual Effects for a Series category as recognition for their work in the pilot episode. Surprisingly, FlashForward - the show that ABC dumped in favour of V (not that I hate that show) - has three nominations: Outstanding Cinematography for a One Hour Series, Outstanding Music Composition for a Series (Original Dramatic Score), and Outstanding Stunt Direction.

The Good Wife has nine nominations: Outstanding Drama Series, Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series (Julianna Margulies), Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (Christina Baranski and Archie Panjabi), Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series (Alan Cumming and Dylan Baker), Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series, Outstanding Costumes for a Series, and Outstanding Casting for a Drama Series. I hope it wins a maximum of five awards (not the drama series and the writing, of course, because they belong to LOST).

Glee has a gazillion nominations - 20, including the Outstanding Creative Achievement in Interactive Media - Fiction! I'm glad that other than the Golden Globe-nominated Matthew Morrison, Lea Michele, and Jane Lynch, Chris Colfer is nominated because he so deserves it. My other favourite new sitcom Modern Family has 14 nominations, including Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for Ty Burell, Eric Stonestreet, and Jesse Tyler Ferguson, and Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for Julie Bowen and Sofia Vergara. Awesome!

The super-awesome Jim Parsons is nominated again in the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series. I hope that he'd say "Bazinga!" when he wins. And I seriously hope he wins!!! The Big Bang Theory is also nominated for four other awards, including a nod for Christine Baranski's guest spot as Leonard's mother. My other favourite old sitcom How I Met Your Mother is nominated for four awards, including an Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series nod for Neil Patrick Harris (who's also nominated for his guest spot on Glee) and an Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics nod for the song "Nothing Suits Me Like A Suit" that the characters performed in the 100th episode.

Even the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games Opening Ceremony is nominated! Despite the giant hydraulics malfunction, it has four nominations: Outstanding Directing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Special, Outstanding Lighting Direction (Electronic, Multi-Camera) for a Variety, Music or Comedy Programming, Outstanding Music Direction, and Outstanding Special Class Programs.

Congratulations to all the nominees!


I do hope LOST wins a lot - preferably all of them. But if it doesn't, I'll be mega-happy that it got 13 nominations. That's a lotta love for a recently departed show. Plus, LOST won the Best Network Television Series award last week at the Saturn Awards. That's awesome enough.

I say this, though: I'll throw a party if LOST won the Outstanding Drama Series award. Hehe...

Back to School This Spring or Summer?

While business is still slow, I think I should take another editing course at Simon Fraser University's Writing and Publishing Program. Basic Copy Editing is the next course in the Editing Certificate program - to which I haven't registered because of the estimated total cost - so I thought it would be a good idea to check it out.

Anyway, I'm not sure which schedule to choose. The only two workable schedules are in late spring and in late summer:

• Four Wednesdays, May 19th to June 9th, 18:30 to 21:30 at the Vancouver campus
• Monday to Thursday (i.e. four days), August 23rd to August 26th, 09:00 to 12:00 at the Vancouver campus.

Instructor is the same (Nick Rockel), as well as the fee ($370).

The spring schedule starts four days before ABC airs LOST's series finale so I'd be freaking out and preparing myself for the end, which means I'd need something to get it out of my head for a night. On the other hand, it's going to take me an hour and 15 minutes to get to the Vancouver campus after work and an hour and 55 minutes to get home. I've taken night classes before and nothing untoward has happened to me. Still, I'm gonna need to take a lot of precautions - say, keep pepper spray in my purse - when I go home.

The summer schedule is great because I can take this week off work and devote the entire four days to the course. Since it's a hassle to commute from Langley to Vancouver every day, I can rent a hotel room for four days (which, of course, is an extra cost). It's like a staycation, but at least I won't be in Langley. Or not. However, four straight days of studying maybe too fast, too much for my brain. 

If only Basic Copy Editing were offered as an online course like the introductory one, I wouldn't have to freak out about the schedule.

 

At the moment, the summer schedule looks better. But we shall see.

 

***This was originally posted on the Announcements section of my freelance editing website at 4 AM today.***

Deja Vu: GOLD CANADA GOLD!!!

There ya have it! Sidney Crosby kicked major butt at the last possible moment. With an overtime goal, Sidney Crosby - with an amazing assist from Jarome Iginla - gave Canada the gold medal that matters the most.

The Men's Hockey Team wins gold!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you, Sidney Crosby, Jarome Iginla, Roberto Luongo, and the rest of the Canadian Men's Hockey Team. I'd also like to thank Team USA for making everyone hold their breaths. Y'all played great. Canadians just played better.

Why a deja vu? Because the women and men's hockey teams also won gold eight years ago at the Salt Lake City Winter Games. I saw the men's hockey team win gold on my first official morning here in Canada - I had arrived the day before. We then went to White Rock and celebrated with the rest of Canada.

I barely have a voice at the moment. But it's all worth it!

 

GOLD CANADA GOLD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Gold Canada Gold!!!

In these Olympic Winter Games, the only gold medals that really matter are the hockey golds.

Congratulations to Team Canada - women's hockey - for winning the gold!!!!

Can the men win the gold? I sure hope so! They were all watching the women's hockey gold medal game.

GOLD CANADA GOLD!!!

Let the Vancouver Winter Games Begin!

CTV and NBC led the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics coverage last night as the Opening Ceremony unfolded at BC Place.

I watched the CTV coverage, with Brian Williams and Lloyd Robertson as commentators. I also tweeted and followed the tweets from my Canadian and American friends alike. Follow @LadySolitaire83 to see my tweets last night.

I'm sure you've seen most of last night's opening ceremony, or you're watching it right now on your DVRs or whatever, so I'm not going to recap the whole thing. I'm just going to write about the highs and the lows of last night's ceremony.

The highs:

• k.d. lang's performance of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" - She sang the song with so much emotion and barefoot to boot! It was the first - and only? - moving musical performance of the night.
• Yellowknife's Shane Koyczan's poem "We Are More" - The officials saved the best for last. My now-favourite slam poet listed the things that make Canada the amazing country that it is, such as hockey, our politeness, and our cultural diversity. In his words: "We are the true North / Strong and free / And what's more / Is that we didn't just say it / We made it be". You can view the full transcript here.
• The visual and special effects - The orcas! The salmon! The Spirit Bear! The prairies' golden fields! The pretty colours as the seasons progress! Oh, my gosh! The visual effects were so freaking awesome! It was so breathtaking. Wow.
• The BC Place crowd's standing ovation for Team Georgia - As most of you know by now, the 21-year-old luger from the Republic of Georgia, Nodar Kumaritashvili died yesterday after a tragic accident in Whistler, BC. So when the republic's athletes entered the main stage during the Parade of Nations with black armbands, the spectators in BC Place gave them a standing ovation. Very classy.
• The Four Host First Nations' welcome - It is refreshing to see the First Nations in the spotlight. First, the First Nations chiefs were given the head-of-state status. If y'all remember, the seats behind Canada's Prime Minister Stephen Harper, the Governor-General Michaelle Jean, IOC President Jacques Rogge, and the other important people were empty and kinda confused. The commentators said that the confusion was due to the First Nations chiefs not having arrived yet. Second, the Four Host First Nations - the Lil'wat, Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh - welcomed the world in their respective native languages and in English & French. Third, the other Aboriginal Peoples of Canada, including the Metis, Inuit, and First Nations, danced their ways into the floor and during the Parade of Nations.
• Newfoundland's punk tap dancers and fiddlers - OMG, they were entertaining. I enjoyed the fiddling and the tap dancing. I was wondering whether we'd see Ashley MacIsaac, as he was the only Canadian fiddler I've actually heard of. Then, lo and behold, he was there! That was a fun performance.

The lows:

• The apparent lip-syncing of the musical performers - Everyone was a-Twitter about Nelly Furtado, Bryan Adams, and even Sarah McLachlan and Measha Brueggergosman, appearing to lip-sync. I guess it's because they didn't "sound" live, as opposed to k.d. lang and the francophone singer Garou's performances. It's kinda hard to tell with Measha because she's a soprano and with Sarah because it would also follow that the piano and the strings also wouldn't be live. But Nelly and Bryan did seem like they were lip-syncing. It doesn't matter much in the grand scheme of last night's ceremony, but the lip-synced performances definitely pale in comparison to k.d. lang and Garou's performances. Not to mention, kinda embarrassing for these world-renowned artists.
• The massive mechanical epic failure at the end - During the final leg of the Olympic torch relay, five of the greatest Canadian names in sports - Rick Hansen, Catriona LeMay-Doan, Steve Nash, Nancy Greene, and Wayne Gretzky, in this order - lit each other's torches, until they were standing around the stage. There was an extended pause as each of them - especially Nash and Gretzky - looked worried and confused. Then a commentator (can't remember which one) said that five pieces of the indoor cauldron were supposed to emerge from the floor, but there was some sort of mechanical difficulty getting them up. Eventually, the middle piece and three legs emerged, leaving one leg on the ground. When the five lit the indoor cauldron, it was still beautiful, but the mechanical epic failure was seen all over the world. It was so embarrassing. Thank God Gretzky's ride from BC Place to the external cauldron at Waterfront - with the spectators gleefully following the vehicle and taking pictures - saved us all from this massive embarrassment. The poor hydraulic engineer must be hiding under a bunker right now.

Overall, the Opening Ceremony was amazing and breathtaking. Despite the aforementioned low points, it was a beautiful introduction - or re-introduction - of Vancouver, and Canada, to the world.

Go Canada go!!!

Fringe Season 2 Premiere Freakin' Rocked

Did y'all watch "A New Day In The Old Town"? Did you?

Wow. That was freaking amazing.

SPOILER ALERT!!!

The first five minutes blew my mind. I kinda figured out what the dude was doing - i.e. shape-shifting - after the intro. (Hehe.) I didn't see The Observer, though, until I went to FringeTelevision.com (Fringe's DarkUFO).

And what is the true nature of Colonel Phillip Broyles and Nina Sharp's relationship??? That was shocking!

The new FBI agent, Amy Jessup, is kinda interesting. Her motivation for following Olivia's car crash wasn't explained, was it? Hmmm... Would that be explained later on? Also, it was interesting that she had a Bible with her when she was looking at the old (as in, Season 1) Fringe Division cases. What is the significance of that?

And that last scene? Oh. My. Gosh. So was Charlie Francis already dead when Amy and Peter found him - or shape-shifter him - standing over the dead nurse (or doctor???)? Or was it even before? I noticed the laundry cart when Charlie, Peter, and Amy were chasing after the shape-shifter.

Overall, the Season 2 premiere was pretty mind-blowing. No wonder: J.J. Abrams and Akiva Goldsman wrote the episode.

I'm already looking forward to next week's episode!!!

Fringe Season 2 Filming Begins Today!!!

FringeTelevision.com reports that filming for Season 2 began today in Vancouver.

*Squeals*

Excuse me while I finish jumping up and down, and doing my happy dance...

Ahem. OK, I'm done.

As EW.com and I reported in February, filming for Fringe moved from New York to Vancouver, a.k.a. Hollywood North, because the State of New York's film/television production tax incentive program had dried up. So many of the on-location crew are newbies to the show. Get this: JJ Abrams wrote a letter to the cast and crew to kick off the filming season. I'll post the image later, but the following words excite me so much:

"I cannot wait to get up there soon and say hi in person!"

*Squeals again*

By the way, here's the image. Thanks to Fringe Television for letting me post it here.



So, now I've gotta keep an eye out for filming locations around the Lower Mainland. I hope I can bump into any one and I can take a pic or something.

Lemme know if you bump into one, a'ight?

Fringe Returns September 17th

EW.com's Michael Ausiello reports that FOX has released its Fall 2009, premiere schedule. Looks like Fringe will return on September 17th, Thursday, at 9pm.

Yay!

Let's hope ABC won't put LOST in the same time slot as Fringe, when it returns in the winter. It's probably unlikely, but weirder things have happened.

I wonder if filming has started. Hmmm... Maybe I should visit Vancouver soon. Hehehe...

Walk On Golden Ears Bridge Day!

We walked along Golden Ears Bridge this afternoon. And I survived it even though I was experiencing cramps! BOO-YAH!

Well, I wore flip flops, because no matter what I wear, my feet will hurt like bloody-murder anyway. We had to ascend the bridge's slope a good half hour. I knew tip-toeing would have helped me, but I was stubborn. So my feet started to hurt ten minutes into the walk.

On our way back, we saw this band. I don't know their name and I cannot understand what they were singing - it was in a different language. But it had a great rhythm and very danceable.



You'll see that we left before the song ended and continued with our walk back. The band finished the song about a minute and a half after we walked on. Ain't that ironic?

So we got on the crowded bus back to R. E. Mountain Secondary School and went to Tim Hortons. Unfortunately, it took forever, because there was only one person - a church mate of ours - manning the store. I paid $16, but we finally gave up and left, so I lost $7 - two large iced capps. Oh, well.

Overall, I had fun, even though my feet were - and still are - killing me. It was a good, albeit painful, walk. I proved I was not anti-social (hehe). We saw a bunch of people we know (the fab five from Walnut Grove Park & Ride, our former church mate, and three current church mates). I broke a sweat (which I immediately replaced with iced capp). Lastly, I saw a bunch of cute shirtless guys... Kidding!

Leap, Dude, Leap

I just started an editorial and typing service business. Yeah. I did an outline for a business plan, researched my market, carefully read statistics and business start-up info, and created a web site.

Well, I need extra money so I can save enough for a down payment and closing costs. A little moonlight business can help. A former co-worker is moonlighting as a bookkeeper for at least one small company. I figured, I could moonlight too - not as an accountant, but as an editor. I've been writing prose and blogs for years now - specifically, 15 years all told - and I have been editing my nephew and niece's school papers for almost half of that. Plus, I always edit stuff - like news articles, feature articles, company and road signs, other people's blog posts, etc. - in my head.

I thought I could make it as a freelance editor after I worked on Miss KC's essay for her high school IB program. I needed to whittle it down from 600 words to 200. I only managed to reduce it to 400 words, but I tried to rearrange sentences and change the wording so that I could unite her ideas into one decent application essay. Apparently, after I gave it back to Miss KC, they sent it to their editor-friend in New York (yes, the mecca of publishing in the US) for further polishing. I don't know what the final essay looked like, but it probably helped her get in the program. According to Mrs C, their friend said it looked professional - as if a pro editor worked on it. From there, the freelance editorial services business idea was born.

I'm not going to bore you with the details of my research, but it took me two or three weeks before I finished the rough draft of the business plan outline. I still have not finished writing the business plan itself, but I can work from the outline. I even figured out a fair pricing plan: I will be billing based on either word count or page count (depends on the document), rather than on the number of hours I worked on it. Since I have a day job, LOST obsession, and a hint of a social life, the usual pricing basis will not be fair. Anyway, I added document or manuscript typing to widen my market. I would probably do a bit of editing as I type anyway.

So I created a website on Google Sites, because it is free and it is convenient (I am using my other GMail account for the business). It's a decent site - frankly, Microsoft Publisher can do better - but it works. The site is almost complete; I only need to complete my bio and to figure out how to make the file upload page work and secure for my customers. Check it out, if you'd like.

Also, a thought came to me last Saturday: Why don't I actually study editing? Simon Fraser University has a Writing and Publishing Program, which is based in the City of Vancouver. There is a Certificate in Editing program, but all applicants need to complete Editors and Editing: An Introduction. So I registered for the online course, which starts on July 1st (a.k.a. Canada Day) and should be completed after four months. I hope I get to finish all the requirements so I can apply to the Certificate program. And for $420, I'd better!

Now, I need customers. So, if you need someone to polish your work, then let me know. Pricing is on the website, and you'll find it cheap and reasonable.

And, oh, this feels so much like Ted Mosby on How I Met Your Mother's Season 4 finale ("The Leap"). Although the field is still architecture, teaching is an entirely different career. With the help of his friends, he took the metaphorical leap and left the architectural practice to teach. My situation is different, but the action is the same: I also took the metaphorical leap by moonlighting as a freelance editor and by studying editing. I actually remember telling my old boss (from the one that laid off the entire Burnaby finance department) that I want to go into the literary/publishing field. Ten months after, I finally made good on that statement. Let's hope I become successful enough so I only have to work part-time as an accountant. Hehehe...

Thanks, Vancouver Canucks

Sorry, Canuck fans. The Vancouver Canucks lost last night to the Chicago Blackhawks by two goals. The Canucks' season is finally over. So sad.



Actually, I didn't even watch the final game. I had a feeling it'd be all over last night. According to my sister, they lost their focus once they beat St. Louis Blues in four games.

However, they reached Round 2 of the playoffs, so that is commendable in itself. Congratulations, Northwest Division Champs! Better luck next year. Better yet, play better! See you guys in the fall.

Shall I Start a Fringe Blog?

Great cliffhangers last night, eh? The Observer fetches Walter Bishop and says, "It is time to go." Then, Massive Dynamic's Nina Sharp is shot - with tranquilizer? - by two masked men. Whoa. Can't wait for next week's season finale!

Anyway, I was thinking of starting a Fringe blog since it's a relatively new series. It is way too late for me to start a blog for LOST, so why can't I do a Fringe blog? I thought, not counting the official website and wiki, there's not a lot of sites that do recaps and stuff for Fringe, except for DocArzt's Seeing Patterns site and the Wikia site. Then I found this awesome site, Fringe Television, that has everything a Fringe fan can ask for. It's like DarkUFO for Fringe! So, like I do with the popular LOST blogs and fan sites, I am just going to read the stuff on Fringe Television, and the accompanying Fringepedia.

And, oh, in case you haven't heard, Fringe was just picked up for a second season! Apparently, filming will stay in New York and will not move to Vancouver. (Or is it?) But there's a second season! Woot woot!

See y'all next Tuesday, 12 May at 9 PM, and let's hope American Idol does not go overtime - for the nth-freaking time!

(Speaking of which, for British Columbia residents, please vote on 12 May and say no to STV. Thanks.)

Condo Hunt: Davenport and The Rockport

Two weeks ago, I had a bit of a free time and I was able to look at MLS listings. I compiled five of them and sent the list to my realtor. Shortly afterwards, my mother made an excellent point that I should choose a place that is close to everything (e.g. groceries, Shoppers Drug Mart, bank, et cetera). I know that two of the listings that I gave my realtor are located near Willowbrook Mall. So I asked her if we could just see those two.

So last Thursday afternoon, we met in front of the Davenport, which is located near the intersection of 197 Street and 69 Avenue and was built in 1997. We looked at a 1-bedroom, 1-bathroom unit on the top floor. We noted that it is a long walk from the elevator to the unit, so obviously that's a bit of an issue for me - being a single gal and all. When we entered the unit, we were instantly greeted by the sunlight coming from the huge door leading to the spacious balcony. We went out to the balcony and assessed it; the view is nice and it is, up to that point, the biggest patio/balcony I had seen. The noise from the street can be heard, but it likely won't bother me; being on the top floor helps. The unit has laminate floors - obviously not real hardwood floors, but these will do. The living room is as spacious as it can be - with the sellers' stuff in the unit, it's not quite easy to see how spacious it really is. The kitchen and eating area are decent, although there are no stainless steel appliances (the unit is 12 years old and the refrigerator, oven, and dishwasher are probably from when the building was built) and no granite countertops. Personally, as long as the appliances still work, it's fine. The mirrors they installed give the illusion that the living area is bigger than it really is, so kudos to the sellers for that. The den/office is nicely sized and bright because of the two windows in it. The bedroom at the end of the short hallway is enough - not too big, not too small - for my needs. To our surprise, the closet is quite big and has enough space for my clothes! From the bedroom, there is a door to the bathroom that can be closed/locked when there are guests. The bathroom is decent and nicely sized. I might replace some of the lighting, as well as the major appliances, but the unit isn't too bad, given the age of the building. It is well-maintained and bright. The list price is $184,900, or $249.53 per square foot. 

Then we went to The Rockport, a mere two-minute walk from Davenport. Like the other complex, it is also a low-rise building. The unit that we looked at was at the first floor, although we had to take the elevator to reach the first floor. It is the third door from the elevator, so it is much easier for me to carry the groceries, et cetera. The first room we saw was the small den/office. The built-in storage units are great and the office space is enough for me. I only hope my desk fits! The kitchen is painted with a warm green and great cabinets. Like the Davenport unit, the appliances may be as old as the building (i.e. 11 years old) and may need to be replaced further down the road. The bathroom walls and cabinetry match the kitchen, and is decently sized. Across it, the bedroom is spacious enough - the closet is as big as the one in the Davenport unit - and has dark hardwood floors - which I love (the floor for the rest of the unit is light wood)! The huge patio can be seen from the bedroom window. Really, the patio is huge! There's a covered section, and there's a garden area. That would be freakin' awesome during the summer and spring, although I have a purple thumb (this girl don't have a green thumb). My realtor did say that I can just put plants in giant pots. The sellers are also upgrading the unit while it's on the market, so kudos to them as well. Overall, the unit is well-maintained and doesn't feel like it is only 629 square feet. Anyway, the unit is selling for $178,900, or $284.42 per square foot.

The best thing about these two units? They are both close to the following:

• Bus stop;
• TD Canada Trust, where I bank;
• Willowbrook Mall;
• The Real Canadian Superstore;
• Shoppers Drug Mart;
• My doctor; and
• My dentist.

Perfect location, location, location!

Now, I have decided that I am going to buy one of them. Which one? I'm not saying. I just need to pony up $20,000 for the downpayment. If only Hurley can lend me the money... Hehehehe...

Stay tuned. ;)

Fringe to Film Second Season in Vancouver?

This was just posted on EW.com an hour ago: Fringe may be filming in Vancouver, BC, Canada if it is picked up for a second season.

The series, which is set in Boston, is currently filming in New York. According to the article, the possibility that the State of New York's film/television production tax incentive program - "which just run out of funds" - will not be replenished by the state's governor, David Paterson, is the main reason for the potential move. Apparently, the $685 million budget for Fringe was expected to last until 2013, but is all used up. We all know J.J. Abrams does not make his shows cheap - judging from both LOST and Fringe's expensive pilot episodes, as well as million-dollar budgets per episode - so it is no surprise that all the allocated money for Fringe had been used up. Moreover, both California and Ottawa (which is Canada's capital and is in the Ontario province, in case you don't know) have started enticing productions with their own tax incentive programs.

Hmmm... How would I feel if I saw Joshua Jackson, Lance Reddick, or John Noble around the Greater Vancouver area? So happy and so excited, of course!

However, this is not set in stone, so I can't get excited just yet. As far as I know, FOX has not officially picked up Fringe for a second season. So there really is no reason to get excited at this point in time.

I'd probably throw a party if Fringe is picked up for a second season and if its filming moves to Vancouver. Maybe.

Stay tuned.

Condo Hunt: Madison Villas at Brydon Creek

In the spirit of Valentine's Day - that is, the worst day in the year for me - I am going to start writing about my hunt for my dream condo unit.

The first place I've actually looked at was mentioned to me by the C's. They looked at the building the week before and they liked it. So they suggested that we look at the units on 25 January 2009.

Madison Villas at Brydon Creek is located at the 5500 block of 198th Street in Langley. It is closer to downtown Langley than I am right now and is about 40 blocks away from my current workplace. The show home was a 1-bedroom + flex, 1-bathroom unit and is approximately 688 square feet. The flex room can be my office, while the master bedroom is big enough for me. The unit has a walk-in closet, wood laminate flooring, stainless steel kitchen appliances, granite kitchen and bathroom countertops, and a deck, among other things. Unfortunately, the unit's living and dining areas are a little cramped for me, especially with several people in the room. The first-floor deck is also a tad too accessible to robbers, murderers, and other evil people. A unit similar to the show home is selling for CDN $199,900 or $290.55 per square foot.

Mrs C suggested two units on the third floor that I might like. The first is a 2-bedroom + flex, 2-bathroom unit and is approximately 1065 square feet. It is, obviously, bigger than the show home, yet it has the same features as the cheaper unit. The flex room could be my office and its distance from the master bedroom will help curb my workaholism. I especially like the walk-in closet and ensuite master bathroom. The deck is big enough for a small party too. However, the dining area is bigger than the living/sitting area. It is selling for $239,900 or $225.26 per square foot.

The second unit is also a 2-bedroom + flex, 2-bathroom unit, but is a little smaller than the other third floor unit, at 1007 square feet. It has the same features as all the other units, and the living area is slightly bigger than the dining area. It is closer to the storage room than the other third floor unit. The unit is selling for $237,900 or $236.25 per square unit.



Any of these units would be great for my first home. I love the walk-in closets, stainless steel appliances, granite countertops, and wood laminate floorings. I do not recall the monthly strata fee, but I remember it is reasonable for the amenities, such as the electric fireplaces, exercise room, meeting room, and library. There are storage lockers in the individual units, as well as storage rooms in, I believe, all four floors. The building also has a nice facade. I do not have to worry about mowing the lawn or shoveling the snow off the driveway.

My only complaint is that the nearest bus stop is at least 14 minutes away from the building. It is also farther from my current workplace and it will take me 41 minutes to commute to work, as opposed to half an hour.

Also, I do not have the money yet to buy the third unit I looked at. I haven't even been pre-approved yet! I'd also need money to buy a new queen bed and other furniture.

*Sigh* I guess I'd have to keep looking - and get pre-approved. Stay tuned for more condo hunting trips.

Red Wine Made My Christmas More Interesting

It may not be politically correct, and it may piss off someone, but I'm gonna say it anyway:

MERRY CHRISTMAS, EVERYONE!!!

Happy birthday to all whose birthday is 25 December too!

I just woke up (10:30!) from a night of food, red wine, singing, games, and Christian love. My mother is far away in Houston, Texas, but I still feel her love: I was not well yesterday, and she kept calling my cell phone to check up on me. (Cue "awwwwww".) Sadly, I was either asleep or busy when she called.

Anyway, we had a "formal" Christmas dinner (or noche buena). I especially liked the bottle of red wine, since I hadn't had alcohol for a while. Relax, I'm not an alcoholic. We then put the dishes and glasses in the dishwasher and proceeded to sing karaoke using our neighbour's system. I didn't have a solo - heck, I didn't want one - but I helped out with a few songs. My favourite piece that we sang was Aerosmith's "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing". Nobody could reach the high notes, but I think I did well. *Wink wink* Then, we played Guesstures, a version of charades. Ah, the red wine screwed up my ability to act out the words. Hahahahaha!

Eleven-thirty came, and we got ready to open the presents. I filmed my favourite toddler, J, as he opened my sister's present (a toy train). The C's went down to the basement to do their Christmas-present-opening tradition, and we stayed in the living room to open our presents.

I asked for either the Wanted DVD or the Forgetting Sarah Marshall DVD; I got the 2-Disc Special Edition of the former. Good enough, although I was really hoping for the latter.

I also got a nice picture frame from my boss. Hmmm... What picture shall I put it in there?

The C's gave me a dark blue Ralph Lauren sweater, a small Dior Addict perfume, and Case Histories by Kate Atkinson. Ms Atkinson also wrote When Will There Be Good News? that ended up on Stephen King and Time Magazine's best fiction/books of 2008 lists (#3 and #8, respectively). Now, I really wanted that book, but I guess Case Histories is a start.

My absolute favourite gift of all is my sister's: a Columbia Sportswear Company women's jacket that I really wanted (after the BlackBerry Storm, one-way plane ticket to Zurich, and an emerald ring, anyway) and needed (the horrible Vancouver snowstorm post is coming up!)!

When I was getting K's gift at Sportchek, I also tried on a few jackets and parkas to help me brave the terrible winter. A few of them fit nicely, but they were so expensive ($150 to $200). So I returned them to the racks and went on with my day. But I swore that I would come back for one of them tomorrow (Boxing Day - huge sales all over the country and a stat holiday too!). Thank God my sister recognised my need and got it for me. Thanks, Sisteh!

I'm gonna try and upload the pics and videos later. Stay tuned!

Overall, I had a great Christmas. With the early Christmas present (wink wink) and the early Christmas bonus (woohoo!), the presents and the familial love all around made for an absolutely lovely Christmas.

Happy birthday, Jesus!!!